What Are We Fighting For?

As a junior at New Trier, the pressure to succeed engulfs students drowning them until they loose sight of the purpose of the fight. Overstretched and under-slept, the majority of New Trier students experience constant anxiety about their future. Am I involved enough? Is my GPA high enough? Should I take

classes or get a private tutor for the ACT? What's the end goal of everything? A lot of New Trier students picture an elite-flashy name dream school that will justify all the blood, sweat, and tears. But is that how you really want to define your success in life? On the college you spend only four years of your life at? Whether the pressure to attend top-tier colleges is internal, from society, or from parents, New Trier students need to remind themselves what they're really working towards. Because your life will not suddenly become whole if you are accepted into the elite-Ivies. On the other hand, your life won't break in two if you're rejected from your top three schools. Don't orient your life goals around a specific college because college is only the beginning of the adventure.

It is a privilege to receive the premium education that New Trier offers; we're being molded into the brightest minds in the nation. College is not the final destination; you have your entire lives ahead of you. However, right now, we are learning how to survive in a cut throat, competitive environment. By experiencing New Trier Education we already have a leg up on most of the nation. So stop stressing about getting into the flashy school because that is not the end goal of education. Set your sets higher. Work hard and become an intelligent human because you want to better yourself and society.